Gainsborough Trinity 1 Stafford Rangers 1

It finished all square at the Martin & Co Arena, as Stafford Rangers held Gainsborough Trinity to a one all draw. Trinity could have been in front as early as the first minute, Alex Byrne and Ashley Worsfold combining, the former denied by a fine flying save by Adam Siviter, tipping over the bar as Byrne’s effort arrowed towards the top corner. Max Watters went close to making it two games in two, when he raced on to a cross field ball from Ben Gordon, only to be denied by the legs of Siviter.

Details

On 24 Jake Charles, the tireless forward was inches from connecting with Theo Bailey-Jones’ left-wing centre and if he should have put Rangers in front then, he was wondering how he hadn’t opened the scoring, when he hit the inside of Jon Stewart’s right hand up right, the ball flying across goal and behind for a goal kick. Gainsborough made the visitors pay, when the move of the game, saw Byrne split the visiting defence, finding Will Longbottom on the left hand side, the on loan Doncaster man got at the full back and delivered a sumptuous ball to Worsfold to net from close range.

A minute before the break the scores were level. Neil Austin was adjudged to have felled Lewis Banks, Josh Green stepping up to hammer home, off the underside of the bar, from the spot. In the second half, Stewart denied Charles with a strong left handed save down to his right, before Worsfold missed the chance of the game, blazing wide after good play by Watters and Simon Russell.

Man of the Match: Jake Charles (Stafford)
Entertainment: 2/5

Match Report by Rob Hughes